His Role Model
by ducktales4life
Summary: Dewey tries his best to comfort Huey after learning the truth about Fethry. (One-Shot. Added scene to The Depths of Cousin Fethry.)


He found him sitting as far away from their cousin as possible.

Huey had his body turned to the side of the underwater pod, facing away from the duck who had let him down. His eyes were glossed over as if he had removed himself from reality. Dewey glanced back over to Fethry, who was staring out of the window, quietly watching his stupid krill as they did their pointless blinking. By now, the middle triplet had a huge disrespect for this guy. Huey had been so excited to meet Fethry, and in truth, as their expedition continued forward, Dewey could see why his brother was so interested in this science stuff. He was great at it.

Dewey could sense that when they first met Fethry, Huey felt as if he had found an idol to look up to. Kind of like how Dewey looked up to his mom even though he hadn't really met her at all. In truth, the blue-cladded duckling would admit that out of the three of them, Huey couldn't really look up to Scrooge like he and Louie could. Besides the bonding from Mount Neverrest and the birthday party incident, the two red-clads didn't have much to talk about.

His steps were light as he walked over to where his brother was curled up. Dewey got down on his knees, just taking a moment to look at Huey and see if his brother would notice him on his own or not.

Huey sighed, his eyes shifting as he just sat there on the ground. His brain wasn't in the right state-of-mind, or in any state to be precise. There goes another idol down the drain. First it was Mark Beaks, and even though he was on good terms with him, Gizmoduck was also on that list for a while as well. Was there something wrong with him? Did he come off too strong to the people he looked up to?

The first time it happened with Mark Beaks, that wasn't something that he had even considered. Huey just figured that it was bad luck or that the money and the internet fame went to his head over time. Then Gizmoduck happened and everything started to click for the eldest triplet. Who he thought was this amazing and selfless hero turned out to be nothing more than a wannabe who would only sweat the problems that the people with that pointless app had. From that moment forward, Huey was careful about who he valued in his life.

When the can rang this morning and Scrooge informed him and Dewey about who Fethry was and what he believed he did, there was something that sparked the eldest's interest in him. This was the first duck he was hearing about that actually _liked _science and studied it. There was a small chance that he could actually bond with him.

And then he had to go and reveal that he was the janitor, or the lab's custodian to be more specific. Huey's dreams, along with his hopefully new role model, were once again flushed down the metaphorical toilet.

"Huey?"

Hearing his brother's voice snapped him out of his mental torment. The red-clad triplet turned his head to look at the younger one of the two. Dewey gave him a gentle smile, but Huey neither returned it or reacted to it. Instead, he just sighed and turned back towards the wall of the pod.

Dewey moved himself closer, wanting to close the gap that was between them. Again, Huey didn't react to this motion, so the middle triplet took it as a sign that he could keep inching himself closer and closer to his brother. Huey took no opportunity to get away even though all he wanted at the moment was to be alone. He wasn't sure why he let Dewey get closer if he wanted to be alone, but he did. And the next thing he knew, his brother was in front of him, one of his hands resting on Huey's. The eldest stared at the physical contact before slowly glancing up to look at his younger brother.

"It's okay, you know that right?" Dewey asked. "I know you're hurt, but you can't let this get you down, bro. Fethry is just one fish in a large pond. You'll have other role models." He held his older brother's hand securely, gripping it in a comforting manner.

"This is only one duck who let you down and-"

"-no it isn't." Huey interrupted quietly.

Dewey sat there, not expecting that to come from his brother. "What?"

Huey sighed. "This isn't the first time I've been let down by someone I looked up to. First it was Mark Beaks, and then it was Gizmoduck…"

"Wait, you were let down by Gizmoduck?" Dewey questioned which Huey nodded as a response. "It was so bad, Dewey. I wouldn't talk to anyone for the rest of the day."

Dewey's eyes shifted to the ground. How had he not known this until now? Maybe he had been using that Gizmoduck app too much. He didn't even notice that his older brother was hurting when he could've done something to cheer him up. But he didn't.

Huey pulled his knees up to his chest after having them crossed for a bit. "I'm such a fool…" he mumbled sadly.

"A fool?" Dewey repeated, focusing his gaze back onto his brother. "Huey, why the hell would you even say that?"

"Because it's true."

"You must not be thinking straight because that is so not true." Dewey countered gently. He wasn't going to sit here and let his brother talk bad about himself. Huey wouldn't let Dewey do that, so there was no way he'd let Huey do it.

"But Dewey, I idolize the wrong people. I look up to the adults that either lie, do horrible things, or both." Huey said, digging himself into a hole of doubt that Dewey was trying to get him out of.

"Huey, look at me." Dewey instructed softly, to which Huey did, his head lifting up from the doldrums and into the light that was his brother. "I don't know why your role models do this to you, but I promise that it will never happen again. As long as you have me there to protect you, you'll have nothing to worry about."

"You know I want to believe you, Dew, I really do…"

"But?" Dewey urged carefully, knowing full well that that word was what he was going to say next.

"...but I'm scared. I have no one to talk to like you and Louie do with Uncle Scrooge." Huey finished.

Dewey looked at his brother sadly, his hand moving to wipe the fresh tears that were brimming at the corners of his eyes. It was very rare for Huey to get this upset. But when someone did something that caused him to feel _this_ depressed, Dewey wouldn't hesitate to tear them apart verbally, knowing that his brother would hate it if he went physical on someone else.

"But you do have someone like that." Dewey claimed, his voice soft and gentle, knowing that he had to be calm if he wanted his brother to feel the same way. Huey just stared at him, unsure whether to believe what he said or not. It wasn't that he thought his brother was lying to him, but as they say, three strikes and you're out. Maybe he was done with having a role model in his life. Maybe he just wasn't meant to have one.

Dewey guided Huey into his arms, hugging him gently. The eldest sat there for a few seconds before returning the gesture, letting a few drops of tears fall down his cheeks and land on the ground below them.

The younger one of the two rubbed the older's back slowly, his heart breaking as he witnessed his brother crumble and fall in his embrace. Huey's body shook lightly, his fingers latching onto the blue fabric that Dewey wore everyday. If he couldn't find comfort in himself, at least he could find it in Dewey, his brother.

"You know, Hue, it may not be the best replacement to Gizmoduck, but…" Dewey's eyes shifted to the side for a split second before returning to Huey's gaze.

"...I promise that no matter what, you'll always have me to look up to and idolize."

Fresh tears fell from Huey's eyes as he let his head get buried into the crook of his brother's neck. Dewey just held him there, not planning to break away from the hug until he knew for certain that his older brother was okay.

Huey broke down there, crying and shaking in Dewey's arms. The warm aura the middle triplet gave off calmed down the older's nerves slowly, his body relaxing over time.

And ever so slowly while resting against Dewey's shoulder, Huey began to smile.


End file.
